Annual Predictions For Marketers: From AI To Politics To Augmented Intelligence To Orchestration

Toward the end of every year, I ask C-level leaders to weigh in on what will be hot for marketers in the upcoming year. From politics to cybersecurity to emotion analysis, this year’s predictions do not disappoint.

“We’re not witnessing a human vs. machine conflict; rather we’re starting to explore (and negotiate) new opportunities for what human and machine can achieve together. There’s nothing artificial about intelligence—AI should more appropriately be thought of as Augmented Intelligence. As with the agricultural, industrial and digital revolutions of the past, we’re not going to see a net loss of human jobs, though there will be a reallocation of human capital and human potential. While this will be disruptive in the short term, we’ll undoubtedly see an uplift in effective affluence—this time due to the expansion of mental rather than physical labor. As literally every business is rethought, old jobs will be replaced by new ones, and old habits replaced with new behaviors. This will have both uncomfortable and awe-inspiring consequences. As such, it’s an amazing time to be in business and to consider the interplay of design and technology in creating emerging customer experiences. Brands that lean in to AI and embrace these opportunities will shine. Two things we know for sure: we’ll be more sensitive about how we integrate AI in everyday lives and human experience, and we’ll need to get even more comfortable in expecting the unexpected.”

"Rarely, do you hear enterprise marketers say they need more technology or even more data. Over the past decade, we marketers been accumulating software, tools and lots of data in an effort to modernize and digitize our organizations. Good intentions and progress, but we’ve been overserved! The key question as CMOs look ahead to 2019 and beyond is: how do we bring all of these important assets together to create a more high-performing organization?. Orchestration is being adopted as a mantra by successful CMOs, with their sales and customer success colleagues, to connect internal AND external tech, processes, resources and data to better deliver customer experiences and predictable revenue while reducing the marketing tech and data glut that is holding back many organizations. This will mean less random marketing tech purchases, more commitment to connecting it all, and a greater focus on how to draw insights and action from the plethora of customer data now at our disposal. With this in check, we can selectively add and bet on the innovative initiatives that differentiate our brand and business."

2019 Will be the Year of Unpolished, Raw, and Real Marketing. Josh Steimle, Author, Chief Marketing Officers at Work

"Raw. Human. Real. Authentic. Untouched. Unedited. Unpolished. Unvarnished. We've seen a trend over the past several years towards marketing and advertising that is the opposite of the polished, glamorous and unrealistic ideal. Companies are using their employees as models, without Photoshopping out their warts, freckles and bulges. Businesses now encourage their employees to become internal influencers, rather than hiring celebrities to promote their products and services. Expect to see 100x more of this in 2019 and beyond, because what we've seen is the minority of early adopters–the real wave has yet to hit. The real takeaway from this trend? Empathy. The successful CMO in 2019 is in touch mentally and emotionally with his or her customers and is meeting them where they are, accepting them as they are, and then taking them where they, the consumers, want to go."

Marketers Will Increase Their Political Stance in 2019. Kelly Davis Felner, Head of North America Marketing, Bazaarvoice

"We will see more political stands in 2019 - from established brands who know their buyer well and have the equity to take the risk, and from disruptor brands making a name for themselves with a strong point of view. This will happen at both ends of the political spectrum. Only a small portion of brands will venture into the most contentious political waters, but there are plenty of issues such as body positivity and sustainability that appeal to belief-based buyers, especially younger consumers, who actively choose brands who take a stand on issues that matter to them. The important caveat to all of this: any brand’s political stance must be authentic – it must align to a brand’s corporate behavior, it must make sense for the product category, and it must be believable. It’s not enough to throw a social theme into a single ad – there needs to be actual action backing it up. A misstep in this area will harm brand reputation."

“One major factor influencing brands’ and advertisers’ decision to invest in TV--or not--over the past couple of decades is the stark contrast between TV analytics and the data they get from digital channels. The last few years have seen rumblings of unified viewability standards in TV. 2019 is the year that we’ll see real examples of these standards in action. This will move TV beyond a broad, viewership-based understanding of performance and put it in a position to influence the way digital channels are measured for the first time ever. This change in the way we understand how TV influences audiences, will allow advertisers to engage in the same types of real-time strategies they do on digital channels.”

“2019 will mark the end of the big-data era, which was characterized by lots and lots of data but a lack of focus and control. ‘Big data’ will evolve into ‘integrated data’, finally transcending data silos—a move that has long been hinted at but has yet to be widely realized—to give marketers an acute understanding of how all of their channels interact and affect one other. We’ll finally see the convergence of social, digital, and TV that marketers have been anticipating. This will simultaneously work to evolve marketers’ mindsets beyond silos, expanding their understanding of and influence over brand performance on a wider and more holistic level.”

Accountability Will Be a Defining Characteristic for Marketing Success in the Year Ahead. Alicia Tillman, CMO, SAP

"If 2018 was the year of embracing brand purpose, 2019 will be the year of turning that purpose into action. This past year, we saw significant steps forward from brands who authentically joined conversations and shined a spotlight on prevailing social issues – but consumers are now asking, “so what are you doing about it?” Accountability will be the defining characteristic of successful ownership of brand purpose in the year ahead. Leading organizations will demonstrate, in no unclear terms, how their on-the-ground initiatives and partnerships are contributing to the values they claim to champion. Marketers will be increasingly accountable for communicating this action by finding creative ways to infuse it into the overarching brand narrative, driving deeper customer connections."

"Consumers who are emotionally connected to a brand are worth two times more to a business than the average highly satisfied customer. As we progress deeper into an era where consumers share both positive and negative experiences with brands online, marketers in 2019 should take note of what they can learn from these reactions – and what causes them. This the data that goes beyond simply highlighting what customers are doing – it assesses how they are truly feeling. Sourcing more proactive consumer insights from democratic forums like comment sections, social media posts, and blog content can be much more telling than surveys, and will prove to be more effective in gauging the emotions felt by consumers. This allows marketers to be more empathetic to consumer pain paints, and more accurate in their assessment of consumer demand and intent – thereby empowering them to respond with targeted messaging."

“Currently, the widely accepted marketing industry categories revolve primarily around marketing tool types (e.g., email marketing) or processes built around those tools (e.g., email marketing automation). 2019 will be the year that analysts and industry influencers accept that artificial intelligence cannot be confined to existing categories and will introduce more holistic categories that transcend these more neat and narrow category ecosystems.”

Every Department and Employee Will Become Part of the Marketing Team in 2019. Einat Weiss, VP & Head of Global Marketing at NICE

"Long gone are the days when marketing operated as a standalone function. Today, marketing must play a role in every department. For example, HR is utilizing marketing as a recruitment tool, especially for millennial and Gen Z candidates who heavily factor in brand reputation when applying for jobs. Additionally, security and marketing departments are aligning on how to promote compliance and secure practices to their customer base when asking for customer data. B2B marketers will also start to utilize their employees more as marketing resources in 2019. This means creating brand ambassadors and producing more resources for employees to share with existing networks for lead gen initiatives."

CMOs and Marketers Will Revisit Their Trust Issues—This Time with Technology. Rob Holland, COO, Bluecore

“When the ANA released its groundbreaking Media Transparency Report in 2016, the revelations about agencies’ pervasive, non-transparent business practices triggered trust issues across the marketing world. In 2019, as businesses become more dependent on automated tools to run their day-to-day tasks and operations (often acting on their own insights and conclusions, without consulting humans), the industry’s trust issues will reemerge, this time taking form as a struggle for transparency into the technologies running their business operations (and lives).”

Marketing Goes Back to Basics – With Some New Tools in the Mix. Elena Filimonova, SVP & Head of Global Marketing and Strategy, CGS

"In 2019, many B2B and B2C marketers will turn back to “traditional” marketing tactics while also maintaining their digital strategies. With all the digital activity, marketers looking for their brands to stand out will turn to handwritten notes, personalized gifts and other “snail mail” tactics. Marketing has moved so far away from the days of calls and packages that those human touches have now become unexpected surprises. However, the ability to personalize at scale is impossible without the use of next-gen technology. Predictive analytics, AI and automation technology have all become essential to the future of marketing. In particular, B2B marketers are using intent data and predictive scoring to target new prospects, expanding their access to prospects and allowing them to scale their ABM programs. Chatbots and AI-based technology have also become the new normal for quick consumer interactions, allowing marketers to focus on other aspects of their profession. This blend of old and new is what will make marketers truly successful in 2019 and the years to come."

CMOs Will Continue to Step Up and Be A Catalyst for Change. Heather Stern, CMO, Lippincott

“In 2019, the lines between marketing and activism will blur further as brand purpose and corporate social responsibility continue to collide. Brands will increasingly take stands on issues, as it became clear in 2018 that customers want to connect with brands that align with their values. Marketers will, as a result, have to be brave in taking risks to convey what the brand is aligned with and the problems they are hoping to solve. From issues around equity and inclusion to gun control, climate change and sustainability, CMOs will continue to step up and be a champion for what they believe is right and serve as a catalyst for moving beyond a message into action. Examples from this year to keep in mind as we look to 2019 include Starbucks closing more than 8,000 stores across the United States to conduct employee training on racial bias, or Toms donating $5 million to anti-gun violence organizations, the largest-ever public corporate contribution toward ending gun violence in the U.S. In order to navigate this environment, C-suite executives should ensure that their brand has a broad and ambitious purpose strong enough platform to tackle the problems that matter.”

Marketers and CISOs Will Work to Demystify Security in 2019. Alex Bender, SVP & Head of Global Marketing, Mimecast

"2018 was a banner year for cybersecurity — and not in a good way. From massive data leaks to highly-sophisticated malware sightings to nation-state attacks, the security of today’s businesses and critical infrastructure is more at-risk than ever before. What’s even more unfortunate is that human error is involved in 95% of breaches. These are complicated issues, which makes it increasingly important for organizations to regularly train employees on the ever-evolving threat landscape so that they are aware of what could put the organization at risk. But, it’s also two-fold. As marketers in the cybersecurity industry, it’s part of our job to inform customers and potential customers about today’s risks, as well as help them understand the respective implications. Overly technical jargon doesn’t always cut it – there’s a need for short, easily-digestible and relatable content that can also highlight these prominent security issues. You’ll see that the best brands will capitalize and tap into trending, popular conversations through strategic marketing campaigns to better capture the attention of not only their own employees, but of customers and potential customers alike."

Creating Exceptional Human-to-Human Interactions Will Become a Priority for Marketers in 2019. Todd Nicholson, CMO, BookingBug

"Personalized self-service has become the new normal, with chatbots, self-checkout options and automated processes proliferating the industry. With that comes consumers’ growing expectations for speed, choice and fluidity across channels and lines of business. While chatbots and live chat will continue to aggressively gain traction with consumers and marketers alike, CMOs will focus their attention on the importance of human-to-human interactions to improve the brand experience in 2019."

Customer Value Will Become a Key Phase in 2019. Rob Maille, Head of Strategy and Customer Experience at CommerceCX

"We will see organizations conducting more comprehensive user research including 'Day in the Life' studies so they can better focus on valuable engagements with customers and potential customers. Technology like machine learning, connected data and blockchain will also be in a position to work more in tandem with each other, aiding marketers in using new insights around customer journeys to up-level more personalized engagements as a way to show the real value of a service."

Marketers Will View GDPR in Different Light in 2019. Carol Meyers, CMO, Rapid7

"With GDPR in effect and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 ('CaCPA') going into effect in 2020 (with a more expansive view of personal information), marketing leaders have a renewed interest and stake in a company’s security policies and execution. Now, marketers are keen to ensure the vendors they do business with are GDPR compliant and want the same assurances from their own company. While marketers are often looking at GDPR with a permission and privacy lens, they also understand the role security plays in compliance, the reputation of their brands, and the promises they make to their customers. CISOs and InfoSec leaders would be wise to seize this opportunity to strengthen their alliance with their CMOs in 2019 – together they may be able to combat “shadow IT” and rogue security practices.”

As a former General Manager and CMO, who worked for nearly 20 years before getting a PhD and working as an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, I conduct research that focuses on helping the C-suite (and aspiring C-level marketers) ...